President of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari attended the Funeral Service of Late Gen. Mathiew Kerekou (Former President of Republic of Benin) at Friendship Stadium in Cotonou, Benin Republic on Thursday.
According to a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by Mr Femi Adesina, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Buhari spoke on behalf of other African leaders during the funeral.
The statement read “Buhari described the deceased as a beloved leader of his people and an ardent advocate of international cooperation who would be greatly missed within and outside his country.
“On behalf of my colleagues, fellow presidents and leaders of our continent of Africa, I rise today, to speak in honour of a departed African statesman, a father of his nation, indeed a founding father of ECOWAS.
“Gen. Mathieu Kerekou was a great defender, fervent lover and pursuer of international peace, solidarity and security.
“We recall that in pursuance of his commitment to peace, stability and progress in his country, Kerekou voluntarily established the political framework for the return of Benin Republic to democratic governance in the 1990s.
“His two democratic mandates from 1996 to 2006 underscored the ardent love his people had for him as a great leader.
“That period witnessed great democratic freedom that continues to exist today, as the foundation for lasting peace and stability in Benin Republic.”
View Gallery for More Photos